Grosseto, new prison in the former Barbetti barracks

Grosseto, new prison in the former Barbetti barracks.

«Finally, after years of work and comparisons, the project for the construction of a new prison within the area of ​​the former Barbetti barracks begins to take concrete shape. After the expected release by the Superintendence for Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of the provinces of Siena, Arezzo and Grosseto and the preparation of the first feasibility studies drawn up by the Ministry, we are ready to move forward with determination».

With these words the Mayor of Grosseto Antonfrancesco Vivarelli Colonna and the councilor for the environment and state property Simona Petrucci announce the concrete possibility of using the former barracks area for the creation of a new penitentiary institute, in place of the one now present in the historic centre.

In recent days, the Penitentiary Administration, following the assurances provided by the Superintendence for Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape competent for the territory regarding the possible use of the former Barbetti barracks for penitentiary purposes, has communicated its intention to proceed with the acquisition of the necessary areas, as provided for in the Addendum to the Memorandum of Understanding signed on 13 June 2019, for the rationalization of military buildings present on the national territory for the purposes of the construction of prison facilities.

«It was, in this sense, decisive – continue Vivarelli Colonna and Petrucci – the impetus and intervention of our Environment and State Property office, which has given the entire process a strong acceleration since last summer. Following a series of joint inspections, in fact, it was possible to identify the ideal spaces for the new destination and to arrive at a draft pre-feasibility study carried out by the Ministry. On this document there is therefore a favorable opinion from the Superintendence itself, and the intention of the Penitentiary Administration to proceed with the acquisition of the area which was communicated to us in recent days. A result of great importance, which allowed the technical table meeting on Monday 21 November to conclude positively».

The positive opinion and the continuation of the design process with subsequent request for the necessary funding is in line with what was established in the addendum to the so-called "Pinotti protocol", dating back to 2015, for the valorization of military buildings present in the municipal territory.

«The project of the new prison in the former Barbetti barracks – conclude the mayor and councilor – it allows us to achieve a double objective: on the one hand we will be able to have a penitentiary institution in a context more suited to its functions and needs, on the other we will make available the structure of the historic centre, of high historical and cultural value, which currently houses the prison and which will become one of the symbols of the great restyling work of the dial thanks to the PINQuA funds to be directed towards urban regeneration works».